Form management system and method

Abstract

The present invention provides a form management system, comprising: a form building module, the form building module calling a word processing application software to obtain layout information of a form; and a common library building module, the common library building module building a correlation between a specific field of the form and default data of the specific field and storing the correlation in a common library.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
 calling a word processing application software to obtain layout information of a paper form; 
 building a correlation between a specific field of an electronic form and default data of the specific field and storing the correlation in a common library, wherein an electronic form developer sets a element type for the specific field, and when the element type for the specific field is set, existing default data associated with the specific field in the common library is searched and displayed in a development interface to the electronic form developer; 
 converting the layout information of the paper form into the electronic form, wherein the electronic form is a form in an electronic application; 
 setting required fields of the electronic form and an electronic form object corresponding to each required field via a data-bound control of the word processing application software; 
 setting access permissions for the electronic form, wherein the electronic form developer publishes the finalized electronic form and enables an authorized electronic form users to access the electronic form; and 
 converting entered data from the authorized electronic form user into a data storage format, and exporting the dara storage format to a file having another data presentation format. 
 
     
     
       2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic form developer sets control attributes of the electronic application corresponding to the electronic form object, the control attributes comprising at least one of: Element Type, Size, Maximum Length, Default Value, and Data Format. 
     
     
       3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a preview mode for the electronic form developer to preview the electronic form. 
     
     
       4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , further comprising adding first default data associated with the specific field and stores a first correlation between the specific field and the first default data in the common library. 
     
     
       5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic form developer selects specific default data from the common library and binds the specific default data with the specific field. 
     
     
       6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic form developer of another electronic form selects specific default data from the common library and binds the specific default data with another specific field in the other electronic form. 
     
     
       7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , further comprising enabling the electronic form developer to set at least one of the following for the electronic form: approval level, approval workflow, and permission rules. 
     
     
       8. A form management method, comprising:
 calling, by one or more processors, a word processing application software to obtain layout information of a electronic form; 
 building, by the one or more processors, a correlation between a specific field of the electronic form and default data of the specific field and storing the correlation in a common library, wherein an electronic form developer sets a element type for the specific field, and when the element type for the specific field is set, existing default data associated with the specific field in the common library is searched and displayed in a development interface to the electronic form developer; 
 converting, by the one or more processors, the layout information of a paper form into the electronic form, wherein the electronic form is a form in an electronic application; 
 setting, by the one or more processors, required fields of the electronic form and an electronic form object corresponding to each required field via a data-bound control of the word processing application software; 
 setting, by the one or more processors, access permissions for the electronic form; 
 enabling, by the one or more processors, an electronic form developer to publish the finalized electronic form; 
 enabling, by the one or more processors, an authorized user to access the electronic form; 
 converting, by the one or more processors, entered data from the authorized user into a data storage format; and 
 exporting, by the one or more processors, the data storage format to a file having another data presentation format. 
 
     
     
       9. The form management method of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic form developer sets control attributes of the electronic application corresponding to the electronic form object, the control attributes comprising at least one of: element type, size, maximum length, default value, and data format. 
     
     
       10. The form management method of  claim 8 , further comprising providing, by the one or more processors, a preview mode for the electronic form developer to preview the electronic form. 
     
     
       11. The form management method of  claim 8 , further comprising adding, by the one or more processors, first default data associated with the specific field and storing a first correlation between the specific field and the first default data in the common library. 
     
     
       12. The form management method of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic form developer selects specific default data from the common library and binds the specific default data with the specific field. 
     
     
       13. The form management method of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic form developer of another electronic form selects specific default data from the common library and binds the specific default data with another specific field in the other electronic form. 
     
     
       14. The form management method of  claim 8 , further comprising setting, by the one or more processors, at least one of the following for the electronic form: approval level, approval workflow, and permission rules.